Most of the trappers and mountain men who came to the West in the early 1800s did so to catch fur-bearing animals, primarily beavers, and sell the skins for big bucks. Beaver fur was used to make “beaver hats” that were considered “trendy” in Europe and later in America. Once upon a time, beaver felt hats were considered an essential part of a simple man's wardrobe. This fashion accessory contributed more to the development of the American West than any other element.
The life of a trapper may be tough and full of danger, but it also offered a free and exciting way of life, especially for young men seeking adventure. They made great contributions to the development of land west of the Missouri River while following the “fur rush.” They mapped the country, built trading posts, negotiated with the Native Americans who hunted the land, and found easier routes that would later become wagon roads and railroads.
One of the men who explored this country, including the area around Cayce, Wyoming, was Captain Benjamin Bonneville. Was he just a fur trapper? Or did his exploration have more significance in Western history?
This is part of his story.
Casper Daily Tribune, February 3, 1924 – EH Fort of Lander Describes a reconnaissance expedition in the Hills – The Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains is considered one of the world's most mountainous regions.ahThe most beautiful places in the world since White first visited them.they were thought to be bIt was an impenetrable barrier, and the “Great American Desert” lying to the east brought them closer. Until then more difficult and undesirable. After Lewis and Clark's success,dEh, guidance be Shoshone indian girl, Iis exploringe mountains and countrysidee west.
Several wonderful Heart of Our country began to think seriously.It was so hundred On December 2, 1923, several years ago, James Madison published his famous message, now known as the “Monroe Doctrine.”
This was part of a speech President James Monroe gave to Congress in 1823. This principle warned European countries that the United States would not tolerate further colonization by other countries.
If we wanted to stop the expansion of European countries' colonial projects, we ourselves needed to know something about the Western Hemisphere. New France expanded up the St. Lawrence River and down the Mississippi River to the Gulf. Spain retained Florida and West Florida, Britain claimed present-day Washington and Oregon, and the rest of the Pacific Slope was claimed by Mexico. If the United States wanted to maintain a “balance of power” in the Western Hemisphere, it would be simpler to surround the country with the Atlantic, Pacific, Great Lakes, and Gulf of Mexico. Napoleon sold the Louisiana Purchase because it weakened France by provoking attacks. Louisiana, Mexico, and the British Dominion were cornered at an unknown location in present-day Fremont County.
Explore Bonneville. Captain Bonneville was sent on a very limited expedition.ah Instructions.he did explore. He overstayed his time.heaht Too many Iinformation, came I went back and reported it. He was tried by a military court and given a dishonorable sentence, bute IThe importance of the work you doe was playing came As far as President Andrew Jackson knew, he was reinstated and promoted.
It is not inconceivable that the whole procedure was simply to make things look right to the diplomats. Bonneville climbed the peak now known as Chauvenet. He gave a glowing account of the climb and the widest views ever reported by any explorer, and his report was echoed by John, who visited the area some 20 years later and made careful astronomical observations. Confirmed by C. Fremont. Although Mr. Fremont also violated the order in some respects, he was not harshly criticized, and his actions appear to have been understood by the president and senators.
Like Bonneville, I also spent some time in Fremont Iwith this sounde Mountain'sget dirty and the viewst IHe was born in the United States and gave his name toe At the top of the mountain.
Another article in the Cayce Independent of March 22, 1917 describes this man in more detail. Captain BLE Bonneville – The life of Captain Bonneville is of particular interest to us because of his adventures and explorations in Wyoming. There was no more famous explorer and trapper than the gentle and courteous Bonneville. He was born in France around his 1708 year. His father was a man of great value, an excellent scholar, well versed in Latin and Greek, fond of modern classics, and Shakespeare was his favorite author. He had a happy disposition and a great imagination.
His young son Benjamin inherited these very same qualities. These, along with his early training as a soldier, propelled him into his action and his life of adventure. His father moved to New York because a pamphlet published by the Bonneville printing press attacked Napoleon.
The young Bonneville was educated at West Point, graduating with honors. In 1825 he was commissioned a captain in the 7th U.S. Infantry. He remained in the Army until his 1861 year, when he retired. In 1865 he was made brevet brigadier general for many years of faithful service. From 1831 to his 1836 he spent time in various assignments in the Far West. It is this period in his life that is of particular interest to us.
From merchants and trappers he learned about wild adventures in vast unexplored armies. Hearing their wonderful and inspiring stories awakened his imagination and love of adventure. He began making plans to make all these things that were appealing to him a reality. Captain Bonneville took leave and received permission for the expedition from the Commander-in-Chief, Major General. As he was a military man, the funds for such a project were very small, but full of courage and hope he put it in front of people of means, and after a while an association was formed and the captain provided the necessary funds for the expedition. Beyond the Rocky Mountains to the far west.
In May 1832, Captain Bonneville led 110 experienced hunters and trappers and 20 wagons drawn by four mules, four horses, or four oxen to Fort Osage on the Missouri River. I left. The wagons were loaded with ammunition, food, and merchandise. He displayed great executive ability in organizing the expedition by selecting two officers, J.R. Walker, to assist him. (Joseph Walker, Famous Mountain Man) A pioneer from Tennessee, Mr. MS Sale is an experienced Indian merchant. From mid-May to the end of May, the group pushed through trackless territory, reaching the main branch of the Platte River on June 2, and it was not until July 20 that the Rocky Mountains were visible from Bonneville. , the region of his hopes and plans, the land of the wild crow is full of danger, but profitable for the trapper.
Informational signs near Hudson, Wyoming
While he was in the Crow Country, he traveled up the Powder River and, along with Antonio Montero (some sources say Matoe), began trading bison robes with the Crow Indians who lived in the area. Build a trading post to promote.
This is from a long article in the Cayce Independent, February 22, 1917, titled “Early History of the Nation.” – Kit Carson was also a pioneering trader. He was snared along with Bridger, Wiggins, and other prominent mountain men, Thomas Smith, Bill Williams, and Joseph Meek. Tontenelle, William Sinclair, and others trapped in Wyoming in the 1930s are too numerous to name. The closest fort or trading post to this particular area of Wyoming was a Portuguese house that stood just near the north and south forks of the Powder River, near where the military post of Fort Reno later stood. . All we know about them is from the following excerpt from the report of Captain Reynolds, W. F., who explored the country and visited the sites of these houses on September 26, 1859. .
“After riding about 15 miles, we came to the ruins of some old trading posts, known as Portuguese Houses because they had been built many years earlier by a Portuguese trader named Antonia Matoe. It is in disrepair, only one side of the picket remains, but these are hewn logs, and from its features it is clear that the structure was originally very sturdy.'' recounts the legend that this stronghold was once besieged for forty days by the Sioux, successfully resisting the last blow, the strength and sophistication of their attack, and the appearance of the ruins not only lends credence to this story. , he said, increasing the possibility.
The trappers who made this wild country their home did not have much to offer. This confluence had wide implications for early trappers. It was not only a place where they carried their furs and exchanged them for all kinds of goods, including clothing, harness, tobacco, and whiskey, but also a place where they met merchants wishing to serve in the coming year. . They also heard the news of what was happening in the eastern states, renewed old friendships and forged new ones. It will be clearly established in the minds of those who have read the early history of Wyoming that the trappers are credited with establishing the first permanent settlements in this country. Many of the men who came out with W. Ashley, Sublette, Bonneville, and other famous heroes came here to make their home. They paid a high price for their ruthlessness, as it is estimated that three-fifths of this number died at the hands of the Indians.
Additionally, many people have lost their lives due to accidents, injuries, or encounters with dangerous wild animals. Below is an exhibit depicting Hugh Glass, who was almost killed by a grizzly bear.
Oil is a big part of Wyoming's economy, and the first white man to discover oil in Wyoming was the intrepid explorer Bonneville. Captain Bonneville discovered “Tar Springs” in the Wind River Valley.
Kemmerer Republican, December 8, 1916 – Oil discovery LOng time ago – The Indians have long admired us.ed crude oil for medical and commercial purposes, but the earliest printed record we have found of white men's knowledge of petroleum is: in “Captain Bonneville” by Washington Irving.Captain Bonneville visits the Wind River Valley in In 1833, he heard about oil springs from Indians and trappers, and continued hunting until he found “Tar Spring,” marking the present location of the Dallas oil field.
This article, published in the Laramie Daily Boomerang on March 11, 1913, tells of an old trading post along the Powder River. There are many ruins in the north-central part of the state that indicate that non-red hands were constructing defensive buildings at some time. Whether this is true, we are not sure, and we are not even sure, but General Conner's 1865-1866 construction of the Bozeman Trail from Fort Laramie to Fort C.F. Smith in Montana. As he headed north from Fort Laramie to open, he discovered the ruins. A structure located approximately 50 miles southeast of Fort Phil Kearney, near the confluence of the South and North Powder Rivers, near the site of Fort Reno. There were traces of what was probably a fort and the outline of Alastre. Further north, an old mine was found containing rusty iron tools. Recent research has revealed that the remains of a building on the grounds of Fort Reno was once a “Portuguese home” built by fur trappers to survive a 40-day siege by Sioux Indians. All of this is so uncertain and so remote that we hesitate to call it history, and would more appropriately classify it as archeology.
In 1832, Bonneville established a winter camp and fur trading post not far from the present-day town of Pinedale, Wyoming.
Today, little remains of Fort Bonneville or the Portuguese home near Cayce. But without the contributions of Captain Bonneville and explorers like him, Wyoming, and even the United States, might not be what it is today.
The photos, excluding the Wyoming information sign, are on display at the Mountain Man Museum in Pinedale, Wyoming. With gratitude.
